Virginia Tech pulled off the first major upset of the college football season last Friday, defeating ACC rival North Carolina, 17-10, at Lane Stadium. It was the Hokies' first home win against a top-10 team since 2009, and as a reward for their performance, they went from unranked to No. 19 in this week's AP poll.
"We've got a group of guys that love the game and love to play for each other, for their coaches, and want to win," Virginia Tech tight end James Mitchell told the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "That's huge, having a team that really loves to play for each other and loves seeing others succeed. I think if anything, that was evident on Friday night when we played UNC.
"We showed on offense that when we execute, we can move the ball and do things well. We stalled a bit in the second half, but there in the first half, our offense showed that, when we're clicking, we look pretty good. Obviously, the defense had a lights-out performance. So, we've got a chance to be pretty good, and I'm just excited to see how the season goes."
Mitchell, who caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown against the Tar Heels last week, racked up 435 yards with a team-high four touchdowns in nine games last season. In July, the 6-foot-3, 242-pound junior was placed on the watch list for the John Mackey Award, which is presented to the nation's top tight end. Mitchell has also been named to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl watch list.
No. 19 Virginia Tech (1-0) will host Middle Tennessee in a Week 2 matchup on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Hokies currently have the third-best odds (+1800) to win the ACC title.
The entire conversation between Mitchell and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.